Weather and Haul Wind: Lonely Flame
by white-wings01
Summary: For Ferin S. Max there is no safe place. He is a man who killed many people for the sake of a Kings war. Now that the war is won what will he do to protect himself and those he loves from that same king. SHORT STORY See Weather&Haul Wind OCC's Duo


Gundam Wing Fan Fiction by White Wings

AU Fan Fiction - Short story

Rated for language and violence

_Authors Note: This is the story of Duo's Father and how he met Duo's mother _

_there is actually nothing in this story that can really be attributed to _

_Gundam Wing except Duo's name._

Weather and Haul Wind:

**Lonely Flame**

The story of Ferin S. Max & Sisneer

Ferin S. Max looked out upon the waist land below him. Smoke still rising from the bitter ashes of the homes that had once dotted the landscape stung in his eyes, the smell of chard flesh made him sick and he lowered his eyes. He was inwardly ashamed of himself but he could never tell that to any of his comrades. They would see it as treason and the Masters would have none of that. His cheeks burned with hot tears, he had never wanted to use his power for this and he knew deep down that the original purpose of his magic had become corrupted. Before this war he had used his singular gift of fire manipulation do forge some of the greatest magecrafted swords in the Islands. He had lived quietly on the Sail Peninsula molding and shaping his creations as well as repairing the broken farm tools and kitchen utensils of the townsfolk who lived near him. He took great pride in his work, from creating nails that would never rust and crumble to sharpening old scythes that had known years of use from innocent framers. Now his flames licked at the lives of such people, though they were not the same people, oh no. These people were supposed to be the enemy but they died, screamed, and cried for their loved ones just the same as anyone else. If he had know that the war his people, the Witches of Sail, had been drawn into by their Masters, the ruling council members, to fight would mean committing such horrific acts they he would have cut his own life short the moment he received the notice from the Masters.

But he hadn't, he had obeyed their commands just as the rest of his people had and now he was sure that for many, many, years to come mothers would be telling their children horrible tales about what the Witches of Sail would do to them if they didn't eat their carrots or go to bed on time. Harmless tales no doubt but the truth of the matter was there were probably corpses of children in that burning field below him right now that mothers had preached those exact words too. "Eat your carrots Todd, of the Witches of Sail with burn down our fields."or "If you don't go to bed right now Ellsa the Witches of Sail will come to punish you!"

Curse this war and curse the King of Craft for hiring or rather conscripting, the Witches of Sail for his own benefit. He hopped this war would end soon. He prayed that the Nation of the Star Islands would surrender lest his dreams be filled with nightmares of his own deeds for the rest of his life. Sisneer, his faithful familiar purred against his hip, leaning her heavy shoulder into him as he wallowed in his own self pity. She was a large, black, cat-like beast that stood even with his waist at the shoulder. She amplified his power with her own as she was a type of summon beast amply known as a Witch Cat for every single one of the Witches of Sail had one, a Witch Cat. They varied in size from that of a dog to that of a horse depending on the Summoners special skill. Ferin's was elemental manipulation and so Sisneer was about the size of a large calf with long swift legs and an everlasting endurance. Witches who specialize in potions or alchemy had smaller Cats, usually no bigger than a Collie, and Mages that specialized in attack magics had much larger Cats that were often big enough to ride as they were they type of mage that one would meet on a battle field with soldiers and such.

He patted Sisneers elegant head and turned away for the scorched earth below. 'Please let this war end soon.' he whispered to no one.

Ferins' prayer was answered much sooner than he had could have hoped for. The next day the Nation of Stars surrendered and became a colony under the Kingdom of Craft. He could finally go home as he was honorably discharged with the rest of the Witches of Sail from the Craft's military forces. The peace, however, did not last long. The King of Craft had seen what destruction the Witches of Sail could inflect and he became paranoid that some rebel groups my try to use the Witches against him. He sent out orders for them to be captured, to be burned at the stake and for their "dastardly black cats" to be beheaded and skinned. Soon even trusted allies turned to enemies and Ferin was not safe from the Kings special Knights of Fire anywhere that he knew or with anyone he held dear. The betrayal of the King of Craft changed him inside. For years he had fought and watched many close friends die so that he could have the "peace" he wanted and now the King had turned on them all, treading on the ashes of Ferins' kin for no reason but for the fear of fear itself.

He ran for many years, and he killed many of the Kights of Fire in the process. He had been 27 when the war started, 33 when it ended and now, 4 years after the end of Island Colony Conflicts most of his comrades were dead and not just those who fought for the King. Civilians, the families of the Witches of Sail, were persecuted as well and many joined their Fathers, Mothers, and Siblings at the stakes. But not he, Ferin had always been one of the strongest of their number, even trumping the Masters, who had been among the first to fall to the Knights of Fire and their Witch hunts.

Now he hid amongst the throng on Larker Island, it was a gathering place of all kinds of people from Scholars to Pirates. One could get just about anything on Larker Island and Ferin was no exception to the rule. He was living as a grounds keeper on the islands only church. It was run down and hadn't had a Pastor in so long that many of the Islands inhabitants had forgotten that it existed, especially since the reasons people stopped in their port were typically anything but savory. Ferin did his job as best he could though. He spent his days trimming and caring for the many trees that surrounded the church and on occasion repaired benches that had been broken in a drunken patrons romp. He also bandaged an odd knee here and there when the islands children got to rambunctious and fell out of one of those well groomed trees. They began to call him Father Max after a while and at first he had protested the nickname but eventually he grew to like it. The people of the Island had given it to him as a term of endearment and some of the older citizens had even started to come and pray on a regular basis again. He felt wanted in a way that he hadn't in the many years since he'd left his Smithy on the peninsula.

One particularly noteworthy patron of the little church was a woman named Julie Wells. She was a lady of the night and though she was not a person of innocent soul she came every morning to pray. In fact she had been coming to pray every day since before Ferin had become the grounds keeper. Her footsteps were ground into the old floorboards of the church hall. Although Ferin was quiet man with no real interest in the world to speak of he often found himself pausing to watch her through the window when she came to pray. She wasn't necessarily what one would consider a beauty but she was very pretty. She had long brown hair that she kept tied back in a braid when she wasn't "working" and she had beautiful green eyes that haunted Ferins dreams as much as the horrors of his past did. Sisneer would snicker at him when he told her about the nights that he dreamed of Julie.

His old partner had taken the form of a normal black barn cat in order to disguise herself and she fluttered around town the way any stray cat would but she always came back to the church at night to curl up next to Ferin in his drafty little bedroom and share any news she'd collected from the islands inhabitants. She told him of interesting people who'd stopped in the port, what the price of salt had dropped to, and much more, most notably the movements of the Knights of Fire if and when that news came.

It was late April in his second year as the grounds keeper now and so far it seemed as if the Knights of Fire had not caught wind of him, thankfully, for he was tired of running. The sun had just come up over Larker Islands port and he was awake, sweeping lazily at the cobblestone walkway that wound around the church and through its many trees. Julie would be here soon, she came around the same time every day and the happy greeting that she always waved to him as she entered the church and as she left. It made him smile no matter what shadows had haunted his sleep the night before.

"Good morning Father Max!" She would say with an enthusiastic wave as she entered the church through the squeaky double front doors. He would wave at her offhandedly; not looking up from his work for fear that if he made eye contact with her he would do something to embarrass himself. This morning, though he heard her footsteps, she didn't call out to him. She was much too distracted with the man who was following behind her making lude chatter to no one in particular.

"Wait now sweet thing, were ya going of' to in such a hurry?" the drunk sputtered as he reached for Julie's arm two or three times before finally catching her wrist and forcing her to turn toward him.

"Leave me alone you! No one should be drunk this early in the morn, let go!" Julie wrenched her hand from his grasp and stormed into the church, slamming the doors behind her. Ferin let go of the breath he'd been holding and looked back to his work, at least now that Julie was safely inside, the drunk would probably stumble around for a while before returning to whatever hole he'd crawled out of. For a while that's just what the drunk did, the whole time mumbling to himself and so Ferin worked his way down the path towards the back of the church so that he could sweep the portion of the path that lay right outside the window from which he could watch Julie, sweet, green eyed Julie, as she prayed secretly out of the corner of this eye.

He looked up so that he could look directly in the window and saw her and smiled then frowned, the drunk had entered the church and he was stumbling strait down the main isle toward where Julie knelt with her head bowed and eyes closed in prayer. He knew she wouldn't hear a warning if he called from out here. The glass in the windows was surprisingly thick so he furrowed his brow and marched toward the front of the church intent of giving the drunk a lecture about pestering the churches patrons but when Julie's terrified shriek echoed out the front door he dropped his broom and broke into a dead run. He skidded around the corner, throwing gravel in every direction as he scrambled to keep his footing without losing speed. He raced up the three steps and clung to the open door's frame panting for a moment and took in the sight within the church. Julie was on the floor kicking wildly and spitting curses that no woman should ever have known to begin with while the drunk straddled her and held both her wrists with one hand, ripping at her tunic roughly while giggling stupidly with the other. He finally managed to rip her shirt open and Julie changed tactics, pleading for him to stop, tears forming in the corners of her green eyes.

Anger seethed and burned in Ferin like no fire he had ever before produced. He pushed away for the door frame that had held him up while he caught his breath and stalked down the aisle.

"Enough!" He growled in a tone so dark that both Julie and the drunk froze in mid-breath.

"Fa.. Father MAX!" Julie stuttered, the tears trickling down her fear flushed cheeks.

Ferin was on the drunk before he had a chance to recover, dragging him off Julie with a strength that no one had witnessed in almost two years. He held the man off the ground with one hand, bringing him to eye level and growled in a low tone that might have itself been capable of causing a man to cower on his knees. Ferin was a tall man, he always had been, and though he was not a large man he was very well equipped to take care of himself in almost any situation just with brute strength alone. His messy black hair had grown long in the years since the end of the war and he now tied it back in a short ponytail at the base of his neck though there were a few thick wisps that swung free from their bonds and hung in front of his rich indigo eyes. The early morning sunlight, orange and cheery as always, danced in them and made them shine an almost red purple. The drunk sputtered, now far more terrified then any woman he may have raped, and Ferin reveled in his fear.

"Get out of my church. You aught to be burned in hells fires for his and if they will'nt do it then heaven help me... I. WILL. BURN. YOU. **MYSELF**!" He growled the last through gritted teeth, clinched in fury and set in a face of pure and unbridled hatred.

He dropped the drunk then and glared after him as he fumbled for his footing and skittered out the door clutching at the scorched remains of his shirts collar. Ferin turned away from the door and the sight of the receding drunks frame in disgust. He looked down at Julie, who was now sitting up and trying to piece back together her shredded tunic. He sighed and keeled down as he pulled off his jacket, draping it around her shaking shoulders and buttoning the first button before offering her a hand and helping her to her feet.

"Are you alright Ms. Wells?" He asked worriedly, his shoulders slumped a little as he bent to look her in the eye. Julie nodded as she whipped the tears from her eyes with her forearm, catching her breath between stifled sobs.

"Are you done with your prayers? I'll escort you back to the brothel if you like?" He offered

Julie looked up at him with a bit of shocked look on her face.

"You knew? You knew that I was a prostitute and you still came in here to save me? Why?" She clung to his arms and stared as his face, searching for his answer. He stated to feel the hot blush forming on his cheeks and stood up strait again, looking to the side a little. It had been a mistake to meet her eyes, now he couldn't form a coherent sentence.

"Just because your a 'prostitute' doesn't mean that you're not loved... um.. uh... by god.. loved by god..."

'Crap!' he thought inwardly 'I knew something like this would happen!' He fixed his eyes on the ceiling, unable to bring himself to look at her again. She giggled.

"So I'm loved...by god eh? What about you Father Max? What do you think of me?"

"Your a very kind woman Ms. Ju...uh.. Wells." he stuttered

"Really? Is... is that all you think of me.. Father Max?" She said with a downcast look and a hopeful tint.

'Oh god!' Ferin though, 'How am I supposed to respond to that?' He pulled away and turned from her.

"Yes..." Sigh, he looked back over his shoulder at her, blushing furiously. "You really are Ms. Julie."

Julie smiled warmly, not a face smile like she did for her customers, but a bright sweet smile at melted him to the core. She stepped toward him again and when he didn't step away she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him so that she was flush against his back.

"What's your full name Father Max?" She whispered into his shoulder blade.

"Ferin... Ferin Solo Max." he chocked out

"That's such a nice name, can I call you Ferin from now on?"

"Sure..."

They stayed like that for a long time and instead of Julie going back into town after she finished her prayers she hung around the gardens while Ferin went about his work until the sun started to set and she had to leave or risk being late for 'work.' The next day, however, and every day after that she stayed long after her prayers were over and sat beneath the trees for which Ferin cared and talked for hours. She would every so often bring a small picnic lunch as well and they would eat it together in the mid afternoon shade, occasionally even Sisneer would join them, she'd become large with kitten now, choosing a mysterious tomcat as her sire. She never spoke in front of Julie but she would rub against her affectionately often so he was sure the Julie knew she liked her.

Julie started staying longer and longer, even skipping work some days to stay with him through the night. The first time she stayed he'd woken long before dawn with nightmares and though she hadn't woken to comfort him she rolled over reflectively and wrapped her arms protectively around his chest and burrowed her head into his shoulder. It was the first night he had ever been able to fall back asleep after one of his dreams. He truly, truly loved her from that moment on and Julie confessed to loving him back soon after that.

Towards the end of May Julie told him recently that she had moved away from prostitution and was now working in the kitchen at the brothel instead and he had been proud of her. At the end of July Sisneer had her kittens, two tiny black bundles of fur each with a stark white marking and later that day Julie invited him to the fall solstice festival that was to take place in mid August. He of course agreed to meet her at the festival and she left him with one of her radiant smiles and when August came he was all a twitter with near childish excitement. That was until Sisneer brought him grave news.

The day of the festival he had been excitedly decorating the church and grounds with bright streamers of colored paper and he'd placed many tiny lanterns along the cobblestone path. The whole Island seemed to be a flutter with the festival spirit but his own spirit was dashed when Sisneer returned from the harbor early that evening and told him of two ships that had pulled into dock not a half an hour before. Two Craft Naval ships, both were carrying a squad of the Knights of Fire. He dropped to his knees right there pleading with fate that they were just here to resupply and would be moving on but he knew better then to hope. Tonight was a festival and many of the soldiers and sailors would be disembarking just to attend. I wouldn't be safe for him to go with Julie and he would have to leave as soon possible... No, he couldn't just leave Julie! He would meet her and then beg her to go away with him; they would find someplace where no one knew them and start again.

He set off to meet Julie with purpose and when he saw her amidst the growing throng of people he couldn't help but smile. She was leaning up against one of the many brightly wrapped polls from the tops of which hung strings of streamers and tiny colored lanterns. She looked beautiful, her brown hair hanging loosely around her shoulders set with tiny braids and silky ribbons. She saw him and waved happily, hailing him over and wrapping herself around his arm before pulling him off into the crowd. She chattered happily and he tried his best to answer her in turn but every time he saw a casually dressed service man he had to fight his muscles from tensing. When Julie seemed to have had enough she lead them to a quieter corner of the town square and sat with him on the edge of a flowerbed.

"I have something to tell you." they both said at the same time after a few moments of silence. They looked away from each other sheepishly, they were too old to be acting like a pair of star struck teens though and Ferin encouraged her to "go ahead" with her news first. He was glad he did, just for the beaming expression on her face and she stood and moved around to stand in front of him, holding his hands in her own and gently swinging them back and forth.

"What is it?"he asked her with a puzzled look on his face after a few minutes for her just standing there swinging his arms.

"Is the suspense killing ya?"

"Yes, yes, come now spit it out!" he joked

"I'm.." she giggled and looked away, pulling her hands out of his and covering her blushing cheeks with them before turning back to him. "I'm pregnant!"she exclaimed.

Ferin's heart stopped cold for the second time that day. He stared at her, or rather, through her. His eyes seemed to have stopped functioning correctly. 'Pregnant... which his child... pregnant... oh gods have mercy!' His mind became a frantic mess, he couldn't ask her to come with him now, what would happen if they were caught? They would kill her too, her and her baby. His baby, he couldn't do it, he couldn't ask her to come with him knowing this, she was far too important for more reasons than that he loved her so much that it would break his heart to leave her now.

"Ferin? Are you alright? I thought you'd be happy..." He was pulled from his own frantic thoughts by her sad and confused voice.

"No, no, I am! I just... I just don't know what to say... I'm going to be a father..." saying the words out loud made his heart ache.

Julie squealed with glee as she jumped at him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She snuggled in close to him and after a few moments of staring blankly off over her shoulder he dropped his head to the nape of her neck and wrapped his arms around her as well. The tears came even thought he willed them away, he didn't want her to worry but the tears ignored the will of their master and fell from his eyes to her shoulder, hot and full of anguish he couldn't confide in her.

"Ferin, you had something to tell me too didn't you?" Julie said, no doubt mistaking his tears of withering grief for those of uncontrollable joy.

"It's not important now." he whispered

"Don't be silly, what is it you were going to tell me?"

Julie eased out of their embrace and Ferin let his gaze fall to the ground, tears still trickling from the corners of his violet eyes. Julie had once told him that his eyes were her favorite part of his anatomy.

"Ferin, please? Your starting to worry me."

"Julie, I... I have to leave Larker Island... tonight..." He whispered it but she heard him as if he had yelled it over the din.

"Well then I'll come with you." She said as she knelled down, placing her hands on his knees, trying to see his face through his thick bangs for he sat hunched over his knees, leaning on his elbows and supporting his brow with his clasped hands.

"No, I can't take you with me Julie."

"Why?"

"It's not safe.. for you or the baby. I'm not safe."

"What? You can't mean that, Ferin, you're the only person I'm safe with!"

"No!" he shouted at her and for the first time since she'd slipped out of the hug looked her directly in eye. His face was twisted as if someone was spinning a pitch fork in his stomach, tears spilled from his eyes silently as they looked at her pleadingly.

"Why? Why can't I..." She started to cry herself.

"Those two Navel ships that came in this afternoon… they're here for me and I don't mean in a nice way. You always wanted to know where I was born didn't you? Well until I was 27 I lived on the Sail Peninsula. Have you ever heard of the Witches of Sail?" he asked

"No, you... you can't mean... then the reason you..."

"No, it's not what you think. I'll tell you something that no one but a very select few know now. The Witches of Sail were conscripted by the King of Craft at the beginning of the war. They were forced to do many horrible, horrible, things, and most of them to innocent people. When the war ended the King began to fear his own shadow. He exiled many of his most supportive nobles and he also turned his fear on the Witches of Sail, calling them traitors and sending out squads of specially trained Knights to 'exterminate' the 'threat.' He's killed most of them now; he even went so far as to burn their families at the stakes. Only a few, the strongest of them, are still alive." Julies' expression was unreadable and when Ferin paused she said nothing, she didn't move and it looked like she had forgotten to breathe as well. When he decided that she wasn't going to run screaming from him he continued.

"To my knowledge there are only four left: Sharon Fallstar and her cat Whippa, Eric ,the one they call Windbreaker, and his cat Fangrear, Arcetis Youldo and his cat Errien, and... the man they called the Solo Flame and his cat Sisneer."

"Oh Ferin!" Julie began to cry loudly into her hands and he turned his head to blink away the tears that had started to sting at his eyes again. He collected himself again and continued.

"When I leave I want you to wait three days then go to the church and look inside the alter. I've left something there for you. With it you should be able to take care of yourself at least till our child is a year old. I want you to take my name too... Would you object to being Julie Max-well from now on?"

Julie's sobs had begun to slow now, and she shook her head. He wasn't going to abandon her and his child at least not completely. He suggested they go back to the church then, and led the loves of his life back to the cheerily decorated church. Most of the tiny lanterns had burned out but with a breath he re-lit them all. He guided Julie back to his drafty little room and there Sisneer waited. She had abandoned her disguise for her true form but she greeted them both as she always had, purring and rubbing against their legs. They spent the last few hours they had together in each other's arms and when Ferin fell into an uneasy sleep Julie sat up and stroked his hair lightly with her fingers. She turned to Sisneer.

"When you've gone will you tell him that I had a dream about our baby? It'll be a boy with eyes like his father... I'll name him Duo. His name will be Duo Max-well."

"I will tell him but please don't think badly of him for leaving you behind. I know it torments him that he must be separated from you at all. I will leave my kittens here, to watch over Duo, and to watch over you... when he is ready they will be of great help to him I am sure. I will spell them so that they will not grow until after he has become a good man like his father."

"Thank you Sisneer... will you take care of him? In my place will you try to banish his nightmares? He has them so often..."

"I have a better idea. Would you like to make a charm for him? To banish his fears?"

"Yes..."

"Then let me show you how."

When Ferin woke Julie was not laying next to him. She was sitting in a little chair against the wall. Holding something in her hands and staring at him. She had been waiting for him to wake.

"It's almost dawn outside; I guess it's time for you to go..." She said looking away from him and down to the thing in her hands. He sat up and swung his legs off the bed and reaching for his small rucksack and pulling his coat out from under the bed.

"Yea..."

Ferin stood and walked to her, she looked up at him and he notice for the first time that her once long glorious hair was now very, very short.

"Julie! What did you do to your..."

She stood suddenly and threw her arms around his neck, silencing him with a kiss. He didn't complain. When they separated she reached for his hand and in it she placed a lock of long brown hair, braided with three different colored ribbons and in the center was a small clear jewel. It was delicately done and so thin it could have been a spun gold necklace.

"The ribbons represent all of us... The blue is you, the red is me, and the purple.. is our baby. Sisneer helped me make that jewel... It's a charm to protect your dreams."

"Thank you Julie... thank you..."

Ferin embraced her in another hug, he didn't want to leave but when Sisneer's placid voice called him from outside the door he knew that he had too. If he stayed any longer he might put Julie in danger and that was the very last thing he wanted. So after one last kiss the parted.. for good and Julie followed them to the edge of the church grounds. She stopped and waited at the last tree and watched as Ferin walked into the mist that covered the town, the sun had yet to rise and so there was only the dull light of the false dawn to see by. He stopped about thirty feet away and turned to look back at her. Standing there in the mist with Sisneer by his side he looked nothing like what she would have pictured a Witch of Sail was to look like.

"I love you, Julie."

Julie nodded and waved goodbye to him and he turned to once again walk into the mist where he disappeared into the gray nothingness.

"Be safe..." she whispered to the mist "..my lonely flame..."


End file.
